1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet station assembly. More specifically, the present invention discloses a wiper of an ink jet service station that obtains its operating mechanical power from the movement of a carrier that holds the ink jet print head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ink jet printing systems are found in a variety of faxes, printers and other types of office equipment. To ensure the continuous proper operation of an ink jet print head within the ink jet printing system, the ink jet printing system has an ink jet service station. The ink jet service station performs basic head cleaning and capping functions. The ink jet nozzles of the print head are capped when the printing system is not in use. This prevents the nozzles from drying out, and thus becoming clogged. Prior to printing, and at periodic intervals during a printing session, the ink jet nozzles are wiped clean to ensure their performance. A wiper in the ink jet service station performs this wiping function.
The nozzles of the ink jet print head are preferably not wiped prior to capping because the excess ink on the nozzles helps to ensure that they remain moist. Because of this, it is necessary that the wiper of the ink jet service station move out of the way of the nozzles when the ink jet print head comes into the station to dock. Only when the print head undocks, i.e., when the nozzles are uncapped, should the wiper move into position to wipe the nozzles.
The prior art ink jet service station has a motor that is used exclusively to individually move the wiping and capping elements into their respective active positions. Although this is an effective method, it is also somewhat expensive as it requires an extra motor, as well as the control circuitry and associated torque-transfer mechanisms that mechanically connect the motor to the wiping and capping elements.
It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to provide an ink jet service station that uses the mechanical motion of the ink jet print head to move the wiper into position.
The present invention, briefly summarized, discloses an ink jet station assembly for an ink jet print head of a printing device. The print head moves forward and backward along a print track to perform a printing operation, and has at least one nozzle. The station assembly includes a carrier for holding the print head, the carrier moving the print head forward and backward along a carrier moving direction, and a service station for servicing the print head. The service station is located at one end of the print track and has a housing, and a wiper assembly mounted in the housing for engaging with the carrier to wipe the nozzle. The wiper assembly has a wiper to wipe the nozzle and a carrier contact for mechanically engaging and contacting with the carrier. The carrier has a guiding means, which is a protrusion formed on the carrier. The guiding means extends along a wiping direction that is substantially perpendicular to the carrier moving direction. The carrier contact slides against the carrier along the wiping direction to provide the mechanical motion of the wiper.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the carrier, whose job it is to move the print head back and forth to perform a printing function, engages with the carrier contact to provide the mechanical motion that moves the wiper. Thus, a second motor devoted exclusively to the ink jet service station is not required, which reduces the overall cost of the printing device.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.